This invention is related to integrated circuit packages and more particularly to integrated circuit packages that include ground and/or power planes.
During operation, integrated circuit devices generate heat which is conducted to the outside of the semiconductor device through the leads and the package body. However, the heat generated by the integrated circuit device is not efficiently dissipated to the outside of the integrated circuit device because the resin which forms the package body is made of materials, e.g. an epoxy resin, which have poor thermal conductivity characteristics. The heat therefore remains in the semiconductor device, thereby increasing the likelihood of device malfunction due to elevated temperature. Elevated temperatures result in a deterioration of the electrical characteristics, e.g. an increase in noise and a reduction in the response speed of the semiconductor device.
Additionally, the presence of resistance, capacitance and inductance in the electrical conductors within an integrated circuit package gives rise to noise in the electrical signals transmitted to and from the integrated circuit. Power planes and ground planes have been used in integrated circuit packages in an attempt to provide uniform ground and power supplies to an integrated circuit and to reduce electrical noise.
By varying the geometries and materials of the integrated circuit package components, the thermal and electrical characteristics of the integrated circuit package can be changed. This invention is directed to an integrated circuit device package having improved heat dissipating properties and electrical characteristics.